For the Australasian marsupials known as "possums", see Phalangeriformes. For other uses, see Opossum (disambiguation).
Didelphidae[2]
Temporal range: Early Miocene – Recent
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
[1]
Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana, the only U.S. and Canadian species (mother with nine young)
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Infraclass:
Marsupialia
Superorder:
Ameridelphia
Order:
Didelphimorphia Gill, 1872
Family:
Didelphidae J. E. Gray, 1821
Type genus
Didelphis
Linnaeus, 1758
Genera
Several; see text
Diversity
126 species
Opossums (/əˈpɒsəm/) are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia (/daɪˌdɛlfɪˈmɔːrfiə/) endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 126 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North America in the Great American Interchange following the connection of North and South America.
The Virginia opossum is the only species found in the United States and Canada. It is often simply referred to as an opossum, and in North America it is commonly referred to as a possum[3] (/ˈpɒsəm/; sometimes rendered as 'possum in written form to indicate the dropped "o"). Opossums should not be confused with the Australasian arboreal marsupials of suborder Phalangeriformes that are also called possums because of their resemblance to the Didelphimorphia. The opossum is typically a nonaggressive animal and almost never carries the virus for rabies.[4]
^Goin, Francisco; Abello, Alejandra; Bellosi, Eduardo; Kay, Richard; Madden, Richard; Carlini, Alfredo (2007). "Los Metatheria sudamericanos de comienzos del Neógeno (Mioceno Temprano, Edad-mamífero Colhuehuapense). Parte I: Introducción, Didelphimorphia y Sparassodonta". Ameghiniana. 44 (1): 29–71.
^Gardner, A. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 3–18. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^"Opossums". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
^"Rabies: A Forgotten Killer Greatest Risk from Wildlife, Especially Bats" (PDF). CDC.
Opossums (/əˈpɒsəm/) are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia (/daɪˌdɛlfɪˈmɔːrfiə/) endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials...
The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), also known as the North American opossum, is the only opossum living north of Mexico, its range extending...
The common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), also called the southern or black-eared opossum or gambá, and sometimes called a possum, is a marsupial species...
The water opossum (Chironectes minimus), also locally known as the yapok (/ˈjæpɒk/), is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae. It is the only living member...
Opossum Run is a stream in the U.S. state of Ohio. Opossum Run received its name from an incident when road workers killed an opossum there. List of rivers...
Opossum Creek may refer to: Opossum Creek (Little Osage River), a stream in Kansas Opossum Creek (Big Creek), a stream in Missouri Opossum Creek (Conewago...
Pygmy opossum may refer to: Chacoan pygmy opossum (Chacodelphys formosa) from South America Pygmy short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis kunsi) from South America...
in the genus Didelphis, commonly known as Large American opossums, are members of the opossum order, Didelphimorphia. The genus Didelphis is composed of...
Didelphidae (opossums) Subfamily Caluromyinae Genus Caluromysiops Black-shouldered opossum (Caluromysiops irrupta) Genus Caluromys (woolly opossum) Subgenus...
the name HMS Opossum, after the opossum: HMS Opossum (1808) was a Cherokee-class brig-sloop launched in 1808 and sold in 1819. HMS Opossum (1821) was a...
Opossum Branch is a stream in Montgomery County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is a tributary of Elkhorn Creek. Opossum Branch was so named on account...
The family Caenolestidae contains the seven surviving species of shrew opossum: small, shrew-like marsupials that are confined to the Andes mountains...
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